STAUNTON — Nobody caught Jose Orlando Romero-Feliciano easily.

Tracking him meant a chase to the south of the country, down into the twin cities of Louisiana, next to the bank of the Ouachita River.

House District 24 Del. Ben Cline defended his seat Tuesday with a dominating victory over Democratic challenger Jeff Price.

“It’s a great night for the [Shenandoah] Valley and for fiscal responsibility and for restoring common sense conservative values to Richmond,” Cline said from a Republican victory party at Salerno’s Restaurant in Lexington. “I commend my opponent for a clean race focused on the issues.”

Incumbent House District 25 Del. Steve Landes crushed his first major party challenge in more than a decade Tuesday, rolling past Democrat Greg Marrow.

Republican Stephanie Beverage will be the next Waynesboro treasurer after scoring a huge election night victory Tuesday.

Four years after losing her bid for the seat, Beverage captured 42 percent of the vote in a four-way race that saw the field double last month. Incumbent Treasurer Sandra “Sandee” Dixon mustered just 27 percent of the vote.

Bob McDonnell led a Republican sweep of Virginia’s statewide races Tuesday, restoring the Republicans to power after eight years out of the governor’s office.

The dominant victories by McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli, the party’s nominee for attorney general, reversed a recent string of defeats for Republicans, who lost races for the U.S. Senate in 2006 and 2008 and the presidential election in Virginia in 2008 for the first time in 44 years.

Incumbent Staunton City Sheriff Alex L. Caldwell Jr. cruised to victory Tuesday night, snaring more than two-thirds of the vote.

Caldwell picked up 70 percent of the tally to Democratic challenger Michael S. Painter’s 30 percent.

STAUNTON –  Veteran Staunton City Councilman and Republican Richard “Dickie” Bell won convincingly Tuesday in the state House District 20 race, besting Democrat Erik Curren.

Bell captured 71 percent of the vote to Curren’s 29 percent.

Republicans tonight were well on their way to retaining—and perhaps increasing—their control of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Election results

Republican Sen. Ken Cuccinelli was elected attorney general tonight over Democratic Del. Stephen C. Shannon in a battle between two lawmakers from Fairfax County, according to unofficial returns.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling easily won a second term as lieutenant governor tonight, defeating Democrat Jody Wagner, a former state treasurer, according to unofficial returns.

The three top Republicans garnered roughly 60 percent of the vote to their opponents’ 40 percent.

County by county results of the 2009 elections.

After two decades of silence, a 37-year-old woman decided to tell her story.

That led deputies to arrest James Preston McLaughlin, 57, of Waynesboro, for sexual crimes they said he committed.

Authorities charged Christopher Stagner, 35, of West Augusta, with maiming as a result of driving under the influence, Friday after a July vehicle accident on Braley Pond Road.

A 73-year-old Staunton man pleaded guilty Monday in Augusta County Circuit Court to sexually assaulting a mentally retarded blind woman.

John Oehlerking faced an Augusta County Circuit Court judge Monday, and pleaded to a reduced charge of sexual battery, court officials said.

He was sentenced to a year in prison.

STAUNTON — Augusta County’s attorney has gone back to court arguing that Francis Chester’s reassessment lawsuits so lack legal standing that the Churchville lawyer should be sanctioned.

The two candidates for House District 25 ended their campaigns on Monday where they started: talking to voters on porches and at front doors.

House District 25 challenger Greg Marrow has enjoyed grueling door-to-door campaigning during his more than eight months as a candidate.

Egleston pleads guilty to reduced charge

Ford Motor Co. earned $1 billion in the third quarter, fueled by U.S. market share gains, cost cuts and the government’s Cash for Clunkers rebates.

In poor economy, volunteers see an increase in need

GOP ticket makes a stop in the Shenandoah Valley

Many communities hit hardest by job losses, those built around dying factories and mills, have been slowest to see relief from President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan, underscoring how hard it is for Washington policymakers to create lasting work in areas that need it most.

President Barack Obama isn’t on the ballot. Neither are all members of Congress, nor most governors.

The task for the next governor: restore economic hope. Here are the plans to do it:

Assault second recent scrape at speedway

HARRISONBURG – John Franklin Myers spent his 45th birthday in jail Wednesday, just a day before a Rockingham County judge certified to grand jury a murder charge against him.

Authorities on Thursday charged Kim Bernard Gilham, 53, of Staunton, for taking indecent liberties with a child. Officials with the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to calls seeking more information about the case.

The longtime girlfriend of a man jailed Thursday over a fatal fight said the victim’s account of the brawl — written two days before a hemorrhage killed him — doesn’t tell the full story.

Authorities charged Russell “Rusty” Huntley, 24, of Verona, with manslaughter in the death of Chad Fields, 26. Authorities said Fields died from injuries Huntley inflicted in an altercation earlier this month in a Dollar General parking lot.

New resolution specifies ‘what counts as a vote’ for treasurer